Azuma does something a little different from typical jazz vocal albums, selecting songs for Footprints in New York that are great modern jazz tunes known originally and primarily as instrumental compositions. She covers a nice sample of jazz genres — bebop, hard bop, classic, contemporary, and so on — in what could be called a “non-standards” vocal jazz album, or a vocal jazz album for instrumental jazz lovers. Through this selection she also pays homage to master instrumentalists and composers including Chick Corea, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and Bill Evans. And, of course, Wayne Shorter, through his composition “Yes or No” and the classic “Footprints” referenced in the album title.

Through these fresh choices, her singing voice is in constant control of the tight NY-based quartet, powerfully graceful and confident. On some songs, she sings lyrics associated with or written for the songs (Corea’s “High Wire”, Parker’s “Confirmation”, Strayhorn’s “A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing”, and Bill Evans’ “Turn Out the Stars”). On other songs, she sings her original lyrics in English or Japanese. Monk’s “Bemsha Swing” becomes “Jungle City New York”, Shorter’s “Yes or No” is “Another Yes or No”, Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” is “Now’s the Time Giant Steps”, and Benny Golson’s “Along Came Betty” is “Along Came Memory”.

In addition to her singing of lyrics, Azuma’s oohs, ahhs, and scatting sections are also featured in parts of different songs and throughout Shorter’s “Footprints”. As for the rest of the band, Scott Reeves on alto flugelhorn and trombone, pianist Mike Holober, guitarist Jesse Forest, bassist Robinson Morse, and drummer Paolo Orlandi never waver and share the spotlight with the vocalist for plenty of improvisational solos, often doubling or trading with Azuma and her pinpoint scatting and crafted interludes on several songs.

Liner Notes

(Translated from Ryu Yamamoto’s original Japanese liner notes.)

This is a substantial debut album from Osaka-born jazz vocalist Kaoru Azuma. I was surprised to find that lyrics were added to Monk’s “Beshma Swing”. Plus, they are in Japanese. Using the title “Jungle City New York”, she sings about the five years she spent in New York and the various worries, thoughts, and real experiences in that period. Listening closely to the lyrics, it’s really relatable. Maybe it’s because the lyrics are in Japanese, but when I listened to this song, I thought of 1970’s Taeko Onuki (Japanese singer-songwriter) and tuned into a clear sense of single-mindedness. This may have not entirely been the intention, but I really like that kind of atmosphere.

Several minutes after first listening to this CD, I thought about Marlene Ver Planck’s A Breath of Fresh Air and Cybill Shepherd’s Mad About the Boy, for some reason. Of course, the songs are different. Marlene’s album has “Mr. Lucky”, and Cybill’s has “Triste”. The instrumentation is also different. I wondered why, and it may be because I felt something in her of that energetic feeling of iki iki or kito kito (which is Toyama regional dialect for that very fresh, full of life feeling). It’s not that I know anything thing about her, but it’s something in her stance towards singing and music for jazz. You can feel the enthusiasm and spirit of a Japanese singer. I realized this as I continued listening.

And wow, isn’t the song selection tasty! This refined sense impressed me most with the inclusion of an excellent tune featured on the great Art Blakey’s Moanin’, Benny Golson’s “Along Came Betty”. Jazz singers don’t usually take on this tune. I wouldn’t have thought that she would pick this song, not to mention adding lyrics in Japanese. Plus, on her first release! I would love to have this kind of sense.

It also really feels like autumn. And, another discovery was hearing the instrument called the alto flugelhorn that sound almost like a trombone. This instrument is used throughout the album in amazing ways, and it’s great.

Wayne Shorter’s “Yes or No”, Thelonious Monk’s “Bemsha Swing”, John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps”, and Bill Evans’ “Turn Out the Stars” are more showcases for her skillful self-expression. In that sense, these choices are also examples of freshness. She expresses herself sometimes in English, sometimes in Japanese. It’s not Misora Hibari and Eri Chiemi from 50 years ago, it’s a modern feeling.

As the album was recorded in New York, the clear, bright sound of the musicians and recording team further elevates her performance. This is an album where you can experience the joy of immersion into a vocalist’s work.

Ryu Yamamoto

Obi Notes

“Tender and sophisticated” as not heard before, a jazz vocal album with a new sense.

Here is an ambitious release from up-and-coming vocalist Kaoru Azuma, joined by Mike Holober (piano) and others from the New York contemporary jazz scene, recording only songs primarily known for being instrumental pieces.

Audio and Video

• #1 “High Wire”:

• #1 “High Wire” (excerpt, alternative link):

• #2 “Confirmation”:

• #3 “Hana & A Flower is a Lovesome Thing”:

• #4 “Another Yes or No (Yes or No)”:

• #5 “Jungle City New York (Bemsha Swing)”:

• #6 “Footprints”:

• #7 “Now’s The Time Giant Steps (Giant Steps)”:

• #8 “Without a Trace”:

• #9 “Along Came Memory (Along Came Betty)”:

• #10: Turn Out the Stars”:

• Kaoru Azuma: Footprints in New York full album playlist

• Excerpt from track #4: “Another Yes Or No”

Along with Azuma and Nishiyama are the same members as before, guitarist Motohiko Ichino, saxophonist Ryosuke Hashizume, and bassist Toru Nishijima. On the tracks, the five musicians play in different combinations including a duo, trios, quartets, and the full quintet for subtle variations in sound, structure, and solo space.

The music itself, soft and brilliant, is naturally rooted in Nishiyama’s emotive piano and Azuma’s heavenly voice that at times drapes the music like an embroidered cloth, simple, plush, and cozy, and at other times meshes with the piano and guitar as a dimensional, instrumental voice. The addition of Ichino’s mellow guitar and Hashizume’s textured explorations expertly add the warm, astral strands to Nishiyama’s frames and Nishijima’s bass foundations.

Much of the album moves at a slow or mid-tempo pace, a comfortable environment easy to absorb and get lost in. Whisper-sweet, encompassing feelings of dreamy reflection are buffeted by several slightly more upbeat and rhythmic selections, with an overall album ebb and flow that is reassuringly relaxed.

Liner Notes

(Translated from excerpts of Kaoru Azuma’s and Hitomi Nishiyama’s original Japanese liner notes.)

FACES of “East” (東, Azuma) “West” (西, Nishi)

Our first album together was Travels, seven years ago. Compared to that, the songs recorded this time may not be as flashy, but require more precision and delicacy, and the sense of drama I felt was missing previously, but this time I wrote lyrics with the premise of singing as the feeling of the main character.

For my writing style this time, I wanted to capture the ups and downs of visualizing emotions, especially on “Pierre Without a Face” and “Pescadores”. “Pierre” is set in France. It’s my first attempt at substituting French in the lyrics and has a feeling of a dramatic play, and I hope people enjoy my short enactment and introduction at live shows.

“Pescadores” has the feeling of life’s meaninglessness and despair, but after the solos, the musicians together resolve to fill the main character with the decision to live, take it easy but stand firm, so I sang this while moving through these feelings. That posture is just like an Enka singer (haha).

* The composer [Nishiyama] had said earlier that it is like an Enka song.

(Kaoru Azuma)

1. Face of Yesterday

Included on the duo album El Cant Dels Ocells (2012) with bassist Daiki Yasukagawa. This was originally written with a vocal impression, so I asked to have lyrics added to it.

2. White Cloud Mountain Minnow

Also from El Cant Dels Ocells. The title is the English name of the akahire. fish. There is a small aquarium next to the piano in my home piano room and this song was written when young akahire were hatched there.

3. Pierre Without A Face

The first song recorded for this album. At home, there’s a wooden doll with the name of Pierre, but he doesn’t have a face. Be sure to listen to Azuma’s introduction of this song at a live performance.

4. Fly Me To The Moon

Like with our previous album, I wanted to include one standard song. Upon hearing Azuma singing a standard, her grounding power is immediately understood, and I wanted to clearly show how this album and originals are an extension of that.

5. Manouche

I wanted to write a song in the Manouche style, but this song ended up going in a completely different direction. I arranged it with two voices to blend the voice and guitar.

6. Analemma

This is a song included on Shift (2014), but this time I definitely wanted to hear it with the saxophone featured, so I thought of an arrangement.

7. T.C.T.S.

Included on Live (2016). I wrote this by rotating through twelve chords in one cycle with a blues size. It feels great to play this with these members who can perform this space-filled piece without overfilling it.

8. J

I had mainly performed this as an instrumental song in a duo with Motohiko Ichino, so I had vocals added to the duo.

9. Pescadores

Included on the duo album with Daiki Yasukagawa Down By The Salley Gardens (2014). It’s a song written by thinking of a simple melody so thoroughly to the point where there was nothing else that could be done.

10. Night

This is based on “Before Night Falls” from Many Seasons (2007), but I changed the size and expanded the image into a different song.

(Hitomi Nishiyama)

Audio and Video

• Promotional video for this album:

• Excerpt from track #8: “J”